1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmologic apparatus, such as a slit lamp microscope.
2. Related Background Art
A slit lamp microscope, which is used as a kind of ophthalmologic apparatus for ophthalmology, has been used.
In a slit lamp microscope, slit-like illumination light, or slit light, and background illumination light for illuminating the entire eye to be examined, are applied from an illumination system supported on a pedestal installed on a table to the eye to be examined which is secured in position by setting the chin of the subject on a chin rest stand arranged upright on an end of the table, and a slit image of the eye (e.g., a corneal cross section image) is observed by an observation optical system supported on the pedestal through the intermediation of a support arm so as to be horizontally rotatable, and, further, the slit image and an overall image of the eye are picked up by using an imaging apparatus, such as a video camera, mounted to the observation optical system to turn them into visual images by using an image processing apparatus or the like.
To operate the imaging apparatus and transmit an image of the eye to the image processing apparatus or the like, it is naturally necessary to electrically connect the imaging apparatus, the power source portion for supplying power, and the image processing apparatus or the like for image processing through cables, such as a power cable and a signal transmission cable.
In the conventional slit lamp microscope, when using an imaging apparatus involving cable connection, no special measures are taken regarding the routing path for the cables. Cables, one end of each of which is connected to the imaging apparatus, are passed by exposed routing along the observation optical system and the pedestal and led under the table by way of the lower portion of the chin rest stand provided upright on an end of the table, that is, by way of the vicinity of the subject, to be connected to the image processing apparatus or the like.
Thus, when using an imaging apparatus involving cable connection in the observation system, the cables, which are in exposed routing, will come into contact with the observation system when the examiner tries to change the apparatus position relative to the eye to be examined by horizontally rotating the observation system, resulting in a deterioration in operability for the examiner.
Further, the cables, which are exposed in the region below the chin rest stand, may come into contact with the knee, etc. of the subject, causing him to experience a bother or discomfort.
Furthermore, due to the exposed routing of the cables, the slit lamp microscope as a whole offers a rather disorderly appearance.